Legend of Heroes
by Shar-dono
Summary: rated for language. Stories based on an original RPG game, Legend of Heroes.
1. Chapter 1: Shar's POV

Legend of Heroes:  
  
Chapter 1: A Knight's Tale -- Shar  
  
  
/* A note of explanation, this was written as documentation for a   
friend's upcoming RPGM2K game, Legend of Heroes. He's gone and put some   
of us RL people in there, so that's why there really is a Hana and Matt   
and Paul and Misaki and Shar, this following cranky mage-bitch chick.   
She looks kindda cute in a bitchy sort of way with silver hair at only   
15. So basically, that's not me... well, it's me, but not really me...   
uh, like, an AU version of me, yea. More chapters will be up as he   
slave-drives me to write more for the rest of the characters. Basically   
right now it'll be a collection of character excercises until i get off   
my bum to put it into a more coherent, plot-filled story, but review   
it anyway. it's, i've been told, funny.*/  
  
  
  
  
So like, what the???? It started out routine. Matt wants to be a   
knight. Ol' Randal sends him after bandits. Do people get knighted for   
these things? Gee. Anyway. Matt, big brother Paul, and the   
loyal-mage-friend-(who'll-probably-die-because-of-this-'cept-mages-like  
-her-don't-die-from-chasing-after-bandits) me are off. What do you mean   
what's it gotta do with me? Someone's gotta keep an eye on those two!  
  
See what I mean? You stop at a town, blink, and Paul's running off   
again. Bah. It's a good thing he doesn't have a wife or a girlfriend or   
something. Poor girl. Maybe that's why he doesn't have one. Did I   
mention the fire? Yea. It was big as the town -- well, it was a little   
town -- and magic. Strong magic.  
  
"Shar! Do something!"  
  
Bah! Knights! What does it look like I'm doing? Frolicking in the   
field?... Shit, that girl from the village, what's her name... Hana?   
Bloody hell. Some people are like that, you know? Stupid. They stand   
around staring at magic fires they should be running away from and then   
people who have nothing better to do, like me, have to go look after   
them.  
  
"You alright?"  
  
Not like I really cared. Shit. If only we knew who started this...   
you've got to admire him a little, though. He had sense not to stand   
around and gloat.  
  
"Shar..."  
  
Matt. You'd think growing up with a mage he'd learn that magic isn't   
the answer to everything.  
  
"We'll die."  
  
You've got to explain it to them. You can't control magic, especially   
elemental. Only start it. Cover the whole area? It might work. It might   
also destroy the town. It might kill all of us where the fire's failing   
to. Or, well, maybe i'll just die. It's like, unpredictable, yea? The   
ultimate game of Chance. That's why I like it.  
  
Summon... I call upon thee, Ice, Snow of the Winter... Water, the   
stormy Sea Rage... Earth-mother, the Pride of the Rock... and for the   
price, as always, I am yours if you win. I dare you to... ...  
  
*  
  
No, I'm not dead. I wish I was. It hurts too much to be alive. And to   
top it off, Matt's decided to take that girl Hana with us. Isn't that   
gay. She gets on my nerves. At least she doesn't burn the food.  
  
The Knights of Hellstom have occupied Pajilk, so Matt's like "We need   
to go tell the King all this. He'll help us." Yea, right. I keep   
telling him that's crazy, but does he listen? Nooo... he has more faith   
in ol' Randal than someone he's only known for.. oh, all his life. We   
don't need to see Randal to know what's gonna happen. Someone's gonna   
whisper in his ear and we'll be dismissed. It's not hard to see,   
really, that our King's name isn't Randal anymore. It's Ligado. It'll   
only be a matter of time before this becomes a public fact. Paranoid?   
Me? Heh. You'll see.  
  
*  
  
What's the problem with these people? It's running around in a tin can   
all day, I tell you, they've all got their heads fried. How come we're   
always insisting on running into trouble without reinforcements? Man...  
  
"Oh my god!"  
"Paul....."  
"Take your friends and leave."  
  
Paul? No, wait, that's the dark knight getup... *LOL* why am I not   
surprised? People whisper all over Listenia that the fire killed him.   
That's an insult to the Knightblade clan... and then, if the fire could   
have killed any Knightblade, it might have been Matt.  
  
"I don't have to explain myself to you... why is Hana here?"  
  
Oh, sweet. Hana. Everyone's got a Hana-radar. What's it with the girl?   
She's like, this useles whiney thing that oughtta be locked in a nice   
little farm house and feed the hens and have babies.  
  
Thomas shouldn't have pissed him off. Thomas shouldn't have done a lot   
of things. I mean... "Paul, come back to Listania"? Of all the stupid   
things to say! Pauldarian Knightblade does what he thinks is best   
*shrug* you'd think he'd have learnt that. No wonder Paul threatened to   
kill him. Come to think of it, Paul's been very edgy. Sometimes I wish   
he'd let us help. You never know what he's really thinking. Ya know   
what I mean?  
  
*  
  
Can we please leave Hana in Listenia? Plllleeeeeeeaaaaaasssssseee??????   
You realise, of course, all this is futile. Matt just glares and   
ignores me. Why is the whole world so in love with such a baggage. Gee.   
It's like she's got some kind of charm-amulet on her or something. Men.   
You're all stupid bastards, you know that?? Matt, who'll BELIEVE you?   
You're like, a nobody and a wanted man. Thomas, you used to be this   
powerful Captain of the Guards and you thorw that all away for some   
impulse? Sweet. Just sweet. It would have helped a lot if you're the   
frikin' idiot leading those men after us! Did I mention I hate running?   
I hate running! And Hana, for goodness sake, be useful!  
  
*  
  
I never liked Ligado and I think I can safely say he never liked me any   
either. Few people do. But he did a good turn by taking Hana off our   
hands. I'd happily bless him for that 'cept Matt'd throw me off the   
ship. Couldn't Hana have been more like Misaki? Sensible woman with a   
sense of authority. Knows what she's doing, at least. Of course, the   
men are awfully upset. Men. Hmph.  
  
Slap me. Vermine's listening to a royal traitor. This is just an excuse   
to raid Listenia isn't it, Kingie? Eh, well. Matt and Thomas don't care   
and Misaki's just a pirate, ya know what I mean? Oh well, whatever. I   
won't call myself the most patriotic person in the world, or any kind   
of Justice-knight like the boys have began to dub themselves. I'm just   
keeping an eye on Matt. Who cares about politics? It sux. we've got a   
free ticket around the world. It'd be fun, almost, if Matt'd stop being   
such a hang-over 'bout Paul and Hana. Let Paul do what he wants! And   
Hana's probably better off with Ligado.  
  
Although... What could Ligado want with Hana? A man like him? The   
world's going to the dogs. Oh well.  
  
*  
  
They say that Hana is Queen. They say that the Greenleaf kingdom has   
fallen. They say that Hana is an evil witch who enchanted ol' Randal   
and covetted the treasures of the elves. I wish I could believe that.   
It'd be so much simpler than knowing Ligado's behind all this and being   
compelled to go after him. Or getting dragged after him. I should have   
kept my big mouth shut. But nooo.... I had to snicker and remind them   
that Hana's too stupid for any of that. I had to remind them of Ligado.   
Yes, Shar, it's all your fault you're now getting hauled back into the   
fray. Can we slow down? *fwap* Matt needs to learn a thing or two about   
being a knight. Mostly the part about manners.  
  
There's something about all this that makes me think we're part of some   
bad bard's ballad. Like bursting in just in time on Ligado and Hana,   
like all the heroing we've been doing.  
  
"You and me lets see how good you really are."  
  
Wall. Need wall. Need to bang head against wall. It's the tin can. It's   
gotta be. Matt's finally flipped. Joy. "Now isn't the time! Matt, let's   
just toast them and get out!!" Couldn't he see? He was no match for   
that bastard Ligado! I forget, of course, that Matt doesn't listen to   
me. None of the men around me ever do. And as usual, they get in   
trouble for it.  
  
Avram the Black Knight comes in. What the! Knights. It's always   
knights. When this is over I swear I'll set a bounty on every last one   
of them and abolish the whole retarded idea altogether. Gawds! Ligado   
must be feeling the same frustration. He must be even more frustrated   
because he actually had the power to do that. Men are stupid. What can   
I say. Serves him right he has to help us now. At least he's not   
kicking our ass with Avram. Thomas and Misaki were late. Makes you   
wonder what they've been up to. For a moment there I thought they'd   
eloped. I said as much. Knights have no sense of humour. Thomas would   
have smacked me down if there wasn't business at hand.  
  
I wasn't paying too much attention. Maybe I should. I never knew that   
was Katlyn Greenleaf lying there in a pool of elf blood passing her   
will to Hana until afterwards. There just wasn't time for such   
niceties, you know? Thomas took charge of Avram, but you know that's   
just going to end in tragedy. There was so much blood... I've never   
seen Matt so badly hurt before. Maybe... maybe I should have gone into   
curatives instead of elemental. Shit. Stop bleeding, damnit! You're   
gonna die, do you hear me? Matt? Matt? Screw you bastard! I TOLD you!   
You never listen! Neither of you ever do!  
  
"Avram, Time to die."  
  
I laughed. I couldn't help it. This is turning out like a bad epic.   
Paul, and that old-fashioned time-to-die thing, all these   
in-the-nick-of-times, the futility. Paul would know what to do, right?   
He's got to... screw magic. I'm the helpless one around here. It still   
came down to the men and their swords. Always. And Paul pulled his   
sword on him. The Cursed Demon Sword. He was so far away, then, even   
though he was right in front of me. The bloody Cursed Demon Sword. They   
fought. Avram was no match. No-one was any match for the sword. It was   
the legendary, the famed, the cursed. I know of it in my quest for   
power. Many a time I myself thought of seeking it out. I am glad I did   
not. I regret I didn't. You don't have to see his face or his eyes. You   
just have to be near him, and you know... No... not to Paul... It is   
good Matt is too far gone to see him.  
  
He was cutting them down like stalks of black wheat, easily taking out   
Avram's army. And they were Knights of Hellstom, not easily defeated.   
You could feel it, the hate cackling in every blow, the blankness as he   
cut people down. Nobody should be like this. I wanted to stop him. I   
couldn't. I mustn't.  
  
It's all my fault. Matt's dying, Paul's gone, and I could have stopped   
them. Both of them. I could have. We should never have started out on   
this path. We should have stayed home. We should never have come here.   
I should have stopped them. There were so many chances to and each time   
I just let it by. I need to do something and there was nothing I could   
do. All the magic, all the pride, to nothing. For all the talk on   
immature boys, maybe I'm the real child. It's over. I can't say why.   
When Paul cut Avram to parts, meticulous and mechanic, it was all over.   
And I? I was too weak, to helpless to do anything, even make a sound. I   
wished he could hear me. I wished he could hear me asking him to turn   
around and kill me, too.  
  
And Hana came, across Matt, and laid her hand on him and the bleeding   
stopped. Fuck this. Hana???? Shit... That's... that's ELF magic. One of   
the greater. Perhaps one of the greatest. Greenleaf. Hana?? Shit. Matt   
was gonna be okay I guess. I tried to turn away so she couldn't see me   
and that's how I caught Ligado. I'd forgotten about him and he was...   
"Paul!" Bolt! I missed. Of all the times! Concentrate! Ligado lunged.   
Come on, come, on, just a little more... and... Viago veered from   
nowhere, right into the sword. Paul snaps and runs Ligado through.  
  
Another death. Someone important. Paul dropped that accursed sword   
finally, cradling him. The world crumbled. I don't know whose, nor   
whose tears I cried. Avram's dead. And Ligado. So what? Matt was   
stirring around. I could feel him through some kind of deadened haze.  
  
Hana again. Whatever possessed her to pick up the demon sword is beyond   
me, but it couldn't have been her. Perhaps the elf magic in her? She   
stabbed Pauldarian. Matt reacted where I couldn't. The blow to Hana was   
deflected. And... calm. Bloody mood swings. It was all calm and surreal   
when Paul told him to leave her alone, and set off again.  
  
Again, I didn't stop him.  
  
*  
  
If you tell anyone, ANYONE about what happened back there with Paul and   
Avram and Ligado and all that, I'll kill you. Better yet, I'll lock you   
in the cellar. It's not a happy place, I assure you.  
  
Hana gave Katlyn Greenleaf a great funeral. She's alright as a Queen, I   
suppose. It's a pity the Greenleaf lifeforce isn't doing anything more   
than giving her healing powers, though. She could really use some of   
that royal grace and carriage thing. Khristine -- that's the elf with   
the Greenleaf -- has vowed to seek the Holy Elixir and bring Katlyn   
back. you'd think she'd learn a lesson from Paul and that demon sword,   
yes? I mean, hell. Even if the elixir exists, what's there to say it's   
not already taken? Or if it even works proper? What if Katlyn comes   
back as a zombie? Or a vampire? Eh, well. Her Queen. At worst we'll   
just kill her all over again.  
  
We're at the cusp of a new era. I know, yea, that's bloody drama and   
all, but I really do have a sense of something like that. With the   
Greenleaf kingdom gone, and Hana Queen of Listenia? Gawd help us all.   
Hana as Queen *lol* Vermine got their take-over without fuss. They   
couldn't open the gates fast enough to welcome the King's cabinet.   
"Gifts to the new Queen", he says. Politicians. Bah. At least I don't   
have to take no crap from them. I mean, hey, am I the Mage Royale or am   
I not? *snicker* and there's always the cellar =P  
  
So anyway, as long as Hana sits pretty, the clockwork'll kick in place.   
Listenia's not under threat for a while and all that, so that's gonna   
work out for the better. Only... you can't seriously expect Hana to sit   
still, especially after Paul, can you? You've gotta be blind and deaf   
to. Always Paul this, Paul that. It's just a mater of time before she   
gets over her top and go off after him. I'm okay. I don't have to   
listen to her. But Matt. Matt's her knight. So like Queenie says   
"jump", Knightie go "how high". The whole tin-can business they call   
knighthood is irrevokably screwed. You'll see. She's gonna exert the   
royal decree if she has to, and then it's off haring all over the place   
again. Some women don't get a hint. He doesn't WANT to be found, yea?   
Whatever have I done to deserve this? But, screw. Someone's gotta look   
out for Matt. When we find Paul, I'm so gonna give him a piece of my   
mind. It's all his fault, he and that dumbass little brother of his and   
those high ideas about chivalry, honour and knighthood. I'll... I don't   
know what I'll do, but I'll think of something. Never you worry.  
  
  
===Go To Chapter 2 == 


	2. Chapter 1: Matt's POV

Legend of Heroes:  
  
Chapter 1: A Knight's Tale -- Matt  
  
  
  
  
The greatest moment of every Knighblade's life is when he goes forth at   
16 to be Knighted like his brothers and fathers, and their brothers and   
fathers before. Paul is telling me I got off easy with this bandit   
assignment. GUess they diddn't think I was up to too much challenge,   
heh. Shar could have been a little nicer about things, but then, she's   
Shar and incapable of being nice. Somewhere far back in time I seem to   
recall a cute little girl, but I could be wrong. It could be a dream:   
my parents were in it, although Paul was pretty much the same as he's   
always been. My dear brother is conciously intolerant of doing good. He   
can't do it, and if he tried, he'll explode, like if Shar tried to be   
kind she'd turn to stone and crack.  
  
They didn't have to come if all they were going to do was dally and   
scoff. It wouldn't have hurt to be a little more supportive, like that   
village girl Hana. She was nice.. Oh, I forgot -- this is Paul and Shar   
we're talking about. Sorry. People who won't even bother to say   
good-bye to their own brothers when they leave. I don't blame Hana for   
thinking Paul started the fire; he was very suspicious, disappearing in   
the middle of the night. I wish Shar'd at least TRY to get along, but   
that's impossible. I'm trying to go easy since she did half-kill   
herself trying to save our butts from that freak fire, but you'd think   
she'd at least be apologetic about destroying someone's home. Besides,   
Hana can cook.  
  
Hana is too sweet for anyone normal to feel anything but sympathy for   
her. She was just a common village girl putting three travellers up for   
the night and all of a sudden, she's lost everything. Most people would   
have gone hard and bitter, but she didn't, which says something for   
good spirit. I'm wondering if there was anything we could do for her   
when we reached Pajilk. Maybe set her up there or in Listenia city...   
Pajilk turns out to be a bad idea, being overrun by the Knights of   
Helstrom. The knights of Helstrom? What are they doing so far out in   
Listenia?  
  
"Gee, I don't know. Christmas shopping?"  
  
Okay, so that was a stupid question. I'm generally the one entitled to   
stupid questions, but that doesn't spare me from Shar's sarcasm. Bah.  
  
I hate the way she goes on sometimes. It's annoying. I hate the way she   
constantly puts down the King and calls him "Ol' Randal", too, and I   
hate to admit she's right this time.  
  
It's the new advisor, Ligado. No-one knows where he came from, but   
everyone listens to him, especially the King. The coward decided the   
Knights of Helstrom aren't people he'd want to get involved in. Shit.   
What about my brother? Don't you care that one of your best knights is   
missing?  
  
"Oh, I'm sure he'll turn up..."  
  
King Randal sounds positively cheery about it. Shar mumbled something   
that sounded like "I told you so". I really didn't want to know.   
Thankfully, someone in this city has a sense of honour. Thomas   
Devereaux, Knight Captain, finally agrees to help. In Pajilk, however,   
things don't go quite as planned and we get captured. Not a word, Shar,   
not a word.  
  
Sir Avram the Black Knight was there, which was troubling. Thomas   
especially was concerned, fearing an attack on the castle. Just as we   
were contemplating how to escape, Paul turns up again, in a dark knight   
suit. What is he doing here?  
  
"Sight-seeing. Tour Helstrom castle for 25 GP."  
"Shut up, Shar."  
"My bad."  
"I'm the Dark Knight of Hellstrom."  
  
WHOA!  
  
"Get out of here before I kill you."  
  
Paul... Pauldarian Knightblade, my own brother... ... He's always had a   
mean, rebellious streak in him, but Dark Knighting and threatening to   
kill us is going too far. No brother of mine is going to turn out this   
way! There was something... something wrong with him. His eyes were   
dull and lifeless, like I've never seen before. Paul... we would have   
taken him with us, by force if we had to, but Shar insisted on leaving.   
How can she be so cold about this? Even for her... and what's that shit   
about my brother being dead? Paul's lost his head, man. He needs help.   
Bad. But how can we help?  
  
We can barely help ourselves. Once back in Listenia, King Randal was   
completely indifferent to the news, putting, instead, a bounty on all   
our heads. Thomas has, of course, lost his Knight Captain-ship. There   
was nothing to do but move on and warn the rest of the world. Perhaps   
Vermine will be sympathetic to our troubles. Shar complains a lot about   
bad strategy and running. This is the part where you slap her in the   
back of the head until she comes to her senses. The whole world is in   
such trouble now. We hired a ship, but first pirates, then Listenia   
Navy attacked and Hana got captured. The pirate captain, Misaki,   
finally agreed to help us on the grounds of getting back at the navy   
and a rich reward. I have no idea where we're going to come up with   
that kind of money, but Thomas surprisingly comes up with an old   
treasure map which they happily took. We still have to take them to the   
treasure first, but at least we'll be near Vermine.  
  
Shar doesn't think the King would listen to me, but that showed her.   
The King of Vermine was more than happy to help. Thomas and Misaki went   
on to Lendai while I was stuck with Shar to go spread the word on   
Vermine's continent. It wasn't long before news came in, strange news,   
that Hana is now Queen and has led Listenia against the Elven Greenleaf   
Kingdom.  
  
The Greenleaf Kingdom has fallen and Listenia's Navy has caught two   
renegades that fit Thomas and Misaki's descriptions. I hope they're   
alright. There's nothing we can do for them, though. What's gotten into   
Hana? She was such a nice girl. Why is everyone around me turning on   
the world? What's wrong with everyone? And Shar reminds me of Ligado.   
Of Course! I wouldn't say, as she did, that Hana is too stupid for evil   
and ambition, but if you think about it, Hana is too nice for any of   
that. That settles it, we're going back to Listenia to rescue her and   
put an end to all this. For someone that solved the mystery, Shar   
doesn't seem too happy about it.  
  
Thank goodness we made it in time. A second later and Hana would have   
been a goner. Ligado is insane and I was in no mood for any of his   
crap. We fight and, uh... I got my ass kicked.  
  
I missed everything. I was so sure I was going to die, when a warm   
light appeared and pulled me out of the darkness. It was a slow and   
painful process regaining the sense of my limbs. Far away I registered   
the sounds of battle. Paul... I could see Paul skewering Ligado.   
Helstrom knights were scattered all over the place, dead, as was Avram.   
Viago, too, that damned pet owl of Paul's. It's been a pain eversince   
he got it, running around all night, never giving a moment of peace.   
Paul's entitled to his affections, though. God knows he doesn't have   
much. He got himself a new sword, that now laid gathering dust as he   
mourned. Hana... hey, it was Hana that healed me, wasn't it? My clothes   
are bloody and tattered, but most of the would are only superficial   
scratches. Wow, even mother was never so good at this.  
  
But Hana, Hana was picking up that sword. She was wincing as though it   
burned her, and she... what the fuck? She attacks Paul??!! I can't   
allow that! I mean, yea, he's a bastard and all, but he's still my   
brother!!  
  
I have no idea what happened next. Paul defends her, knocks me to the   
ground as always and tells me to leave her alone, then leaves, as   
usual. Fuck the man. Come back and explain yourself! Paul? Paul!  
  
Hana goes back to being Queen. Vermine has ben most kind, sending   
advisors to assist. Shar calls it a legal takeover. These days I can't   
care less about what she says. Hana wants to go look for Paul. So do I.   
That sonovabitch has a lot of explaining to do.  
  
  
==GO TO CHAPTER 2 == 


End file.
